Comments: 4

• Libby from Louisville, KentuckyI think it's a case of that quote- You have the whole of your life to write your first album,& six months to write the second. Al had a lot to say of his past when he began the historical/ autobiographical songs. There isn't that urgency now. Love the man's work.
• Chepooka from Homewood, AlabamaAgree with Jeffrey and Mike, one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists. I saw Al in Houston on the second night of a 2-night stand. Those who attended the 1st performance were able to request a number to be played at the next night's show. My choice would have been "Manuscript". I purchased a CD after the show and those who did so were able to have it signed by Al. I asked him when it was my turn if he had performed "Manuscript" the previous night and his response was, "No, can't do them all".
• Mike from Cambridge, United KingdomManuscript is my favourite Al Stewart song. I heard him say once, when someone called out for Manuscript: "Hmm. That's a good song. In fact the only good song I wrote". Which isn't true of course, but it shows how he regards it.
  
  I agree that his older material surpasses the more famous records like YOTC. But he's not finished yet. Take a listen to "A Beach Full Of Shells" and in particular "Somewhere in England 1915".
• Jeffrey from Reading, PaWhat a fantastic song, and SOOO playable on acoustic guitar. I was at an Al Stewart concert
  in 2008 and hoped we would ask the audience if they had any song requests. This would have been
  my overwhelming choice had he done so.
  So much of Al's older material (like this song) is absolutely wonderful. It's a shame so many associate him with only "Song on the Radio"
  and "Year of the Cat", very mediocre efforts
  (by his own admission).
  If I played to live audiences, I'd certainly do
  a LONG Al Stewart set, and this song would always
  be included in it. Kudos to one of the world's
  greatest song writers for this song.

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